Relations between India and Pakistan are defined by the violent partition of British India in 1947, the Kashmir dispute and the numerous military conflicts fought between the two nations. Consequently, even though the two South Asian nations share historic, cultural, geographic, and economic links, their relationship has been plagued by hostility and suspicion.
After the dissolution of the British Raj in 1947, two new sovereign nations were formed-the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. The subsequent partition of the former British India displaced up to 12.5 million people, with estimates of loss of life varying from several hundred thousand to a million. India emerged as a secular nation with a Hindu majority population and a large Muslim minority while Pakistan was established as an Islamic republic with an overwhelming Muslim majority population.
Soon after their independence, India and Pakistan established diplomatic relations but the violent partition and numerous territorial disputes would overshadow their relationship. Since their independent the two countries have fought three major wars, one undeclared war and have been involved in numerous armed skirmishes and military standoffs. The Kashmir dispute is the main center-point of all of these conflicts with the exception of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, which resulted in the secession of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
There have been numerous attempts to improve the relationship-notably, the Shimla summit, the Agra summit and the Lahore summit. Since the early 1980s, relations between the two nations soured particularly after the Siachen conflict, the intensification of Kashmir insurgency in 1989, Indian and Pakistani nuclear tests in 1998 and the 1999 Kargil war.
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Certain confidence-building measures-sue’ as the 2003 ceasefire agreement and the Delhi-Lahore Bus service-were successful in deescalating tensions. However, these efforts have been impeded by Pakistan’s alleged involvement in various terrorist activities in India. The 2001 Indian Parliament attack almost brought the two nations on the brink of a nuclear war. Additionally, the 2008 Mumbai attacks resulted in a severe blow to the ongoing India-Pakistan peace talks.
Kashmir was a princely state, ruled by a Hindu king, Maharaja Hari Singh. The Maharaja of Kashmir was equally hesitant to join either India-because he knew his Muslim subjects would not like to join a Hindu-based and Hindu-majority nation or Pakistan-which as a Hindu he was personally averse to (citation needed). Pakistan coveted the Himalayan kingdom, while Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi and come under India’s jurisdiction.
Desperate to get India’s help and get Kashmir back in his own control, the Maharaja acceded Kashmir to India (which was against the will of the majority of Kashmiris), and signed the Instrument of Accession. By this time the raiders were close to the capital, Srinagar. On October 27, 1947, the Indian Air Force airdropped Indian troops into Srinagar and made an intervention.
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The Indian troops managed to seize parts of Kashmir which included Jammu, Srinagar and the Kashmir valley itself, but the strong and intense fighting, flagged with the onset of winter, made much of the state impassable. After weeks of intense fighting between Pakistan and India, Pakistani leaders and the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared a ceasefire and sought U. N. arbitration with the promise of a plebiscite.
Sardar Patel had argued against both, describing Kashmir as a bilateral dispute and its accession as justified by international law. In 1957, north-western Kashmir was fully integrated into Pakistan, becoming Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered Kashmir), while the other portion was acceded to Indian control, and the state of Jammu and Kashmir (Indian-administered Kashmir) was created. In 1962, China occupied Aksai Chin, the northeastern region bordering Ladakh. In 1984, India launched Operation Meghdoot and capture more than 80% of the Siachen Glacier.
Pakistan maintains Kashmiris’ rights to self-determination through a plebiscite in accordance with an earlier Indian statement and a UN resolution. Pakistan also points to India’s failure of not understanding its own political logic and applying it to Kashmir, by taking their opinion on the case of the accession of Junagadh as an example (that the Hindu majority state should have gone to India even though it had a Muslim ruler), that Kashmir should also rightfully and legally have become a part of Pakistan since majority of the people were Muslim, even though they had a Hindu ruler. Pakistan also states that at the very least, the promised plebiscite should be allowed to decide the fate of the Kashmiri people.
India on the other hand asserts that the Maharaja’s decision, which was the norm for every other princely state at the time of independence, and subsequent elections, for over 40 years, on Kashmir has made it an integral part of India. This opinion has often become controversial, as Pakistan asserts that the decision of the ruler of Junagadh also adhered to Pakistan. Due to all such political differences, this dispute has also been the subject of wars between the two countries in 1947 and 1965, and a limited conflict in 1999. The state/province remains divided between the two countries by the Line of Control (LoC), which demarcates the ceasefire line agreed upon in the 1947 conflict.
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Violent activities in the region declined in 2004. There are two main reasons for this: warming of relations between New Delhi and Islamabad which consequently lead to a ceasefire between the two countries in 2003 and the fencing of the LoC being carried out by the Indian Army. Moreover, coming under intense international pressure, Islamabad was compelled to take actions against the militants’ training camps on its territory. In 2004, the two countries also agreed upon decreasing the number of troops present in the region.
Under pressure, Kashmiri militant organisations have made an offer for talks and negotiations with New Delhi, which India has welcomed.
India’s Border Security Force blamed the Pakistani military for providing cover-fire for the terrorists whenever they infiltrated into Indian Territory from Pakistan. Pakistan, in turn has also blamed India for providing support for terrorist groups inside Pakistan such as the MQM.
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In 2005, Pakistan’s information minister, Sheikh Rashid, was alleged to have run a terrorist training camp in 1990 in N.W. Frontier, Pakistan. The Pakistani government dismissed the charges against its minister as an attempt to hamper the ongoing peace process between the two neighbours.
Both India and Pakistan have launched several mutual confidence-building measures (CBMs) to ease tensions between the two. These include more high-level talks, easing visa restrictions, and restarting of cricket matches between the two. The new bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad has also helped bring the two sides closer. Pakistan and India have also decided to co-operate on economic fronts.
A major clash between Indian Security Forces and militants occurred when a group of insurgents tried to infiltrate into the Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistan in July 2005. The same month also saw a Kashmiri militant attack on Ayodhya and Srinagar. However, these developments had little impact on the peace process.
Some improvements in the relations are seen with the re-opening of a series of transportation networks near the India-Pakistan border, with the most important being bus routes and railway lines.
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An Indian man held in Pakistani prisons since 1975 as an accused spy walked across the border to freedom March 3, 2008, an unconditional release that Pakistan said was done to improve relations between the two countries.
In 2006, a “Friends without Borders” scheme began with the help of two British tourists. The idea was that Indian and Pakistani children would make pen pals and write friendly letters to each other. The idea was so successful in both countries that the organisation found it “impossible to keep up”. The World’s Largest Love Letter was recently, sent from India to Pakistan.
In April 2010, a high profile Pakistani cricketer, Shoaib Malik married the Indian tennis star Sania Mirza. The wedding received much media attention and was said to transfix both India and Pakistan.
On 10 Feb, 2011, India agreed to resume talks with Pakistan which were suspended after 26/11 Mumbai Attacks. India had put on hold all the diplomatic relations saying it will only continue if Pakistan will act against the accused of Mumbai attacks. Possible solutions to the Kashmir issue
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Many consider that the best way to end present violence in Kashmir is negotiations between various Kashmiri- separatists groups, Pakistan and India. Here are a few possible solutions to the Kashmir dispute:
The Status quo
Currently a boundary-the Line of Control (LoC)-divides the region in two, with one part administered by India and one by Pakistan, India would like to formalize this status quo and make it the accepted international boundary. Factors Opposing-Pakistan rejects the plan partially as it will get lesser control over the region and wants greater. Kashmiri political parties too would oppose the plan as it violates the UN resolution for a referendum. Kashmir becomes a part of India
Though New Delhi and much of the Hindu population of Jammu and Buddhists in Ladakh would have no objections to such a plan. Factors Opposing-The Muslim majority population of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, might object the outcome as would a majority of those in Kashmir valley in India.
Pakistan accepts the status quo in return for India giving away dispute Sir Creek. Kashmir becomes a part of Pakistan
Kashmir joining Pakistan. Factors opposing-the communities of Hindus of Jammu and the Buddhists of Ladakh would object the outcome. Hindu Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced out of Kashmir by militants, are also a major topic to consider.